Review: Best Of 2007, Odds & Ends

With 2007 behind us, and the endless countdowns of best albums, songs, etc. all done and dusted, here are some of the leftovers of the year for your consideration. First, some honorable mentions that didn't make the Best Albums Of 2007 list, followed by the year's biggest letdowns and favorite compilation and live albums.

Honorable Mentions:
The Chemical Brothers, We Are The Night
Although not their best album, the latest from The Chemical Brothers is another solid dance record full of nuanced highs and lows.
Featured: The Chemical Brothers, "Saturate" [zShare]
Stéphane Pompougnac, Hello Mademoiselle
The popular French DJ's second album is a great collection of chilled grooves that rivals many of his Hôtel Costes compilations.
Featured: Stephane Pompougnac feat. Varano & Tiger Lily, "Better Days" [zShare]
Girls Aloud, Tangled Up
Possibly the best Girls Aloud album yet, Tangled Up is full of quirky, upbeat pop tracks injected with a newfound tongue-in-cheek outlook.
Featured: Girls Aloud, "Close To Love" [zShare]

Biggest Disappointments:
The Smashing Pumpkins, Zeitgeist
I had high hopes for the long-rumored Smashing Pumpkins "reunion," but of course Billy Corgan's huge ego got in the way again and Zeitgeist ended up merely rehashing the harder-edged rock songs they explored back in the mid-1990s.
Featured: The Smashing Pumpkins, "Doomsday Clock" [zShare]
Calvin Harris, I Created Disco
Based on his first two singles ("Acceptable In The 80s" and "The Girls"), Calvin Harris's debut album should have been a storming electronic masterpiece, but didn't deliver and falls flat halfway through the record.
Featured: Calvin Harris, "Vegas" [zShare]
Air, Pocket Symphony
Air's last album Talkie Walkie was an excellent downtempo record, and their debut Moon Safari is an unrivaled classic in the electronica genre. Their new album, though, somehow couldn't keep my interest and has less blood than their mildly-amusing soundtrack to The Virgin Suicides.
Featured: Air, "Once Upon A Time" [zShare]

Best Compilations & Mix Albums:
Hôtel Costes X, compiled & mixed by Stéphane Pompougnac
Another excellent volume in the internationally-acclaimed Hôtel Costes compilation series. It's not quite as exciting as the last two albums in the series, but is still the gold standard for chill-out music.
Featured: Louie Austen, "Glamour Girl" [zShare]
Garbage, Absolute Garbage
Celebrating ten years in music business (and a possible parting of the ways), Garbage finally released a greatest hits. Heard back-to-back, their singles reveal what true masters of the pop craft Garbage really are. It release was augmented by a limited edition with a bonus remix disc and a DVD with (most of) their groundbreaking videos, both of which are also worth checking out.
Featured: Garbage, "Special" [zShare]
DJ-KiCKS, compiled & mixed by Hot Chip
A fun, unpredictable mixtape in the popular DJ-KiCKS series perfect for spicing up any situation.
Featured: Hot Chip, "My Piano" [zShare]

Best Live Albums:
Madonna, The Confessions Tour
In her most lucrative tour yet, Madonna turned the concert hall into a club, reinventing a handful of her past hits for the modern dance floor alongside her newer material. The main draw is the concert film, a spectacle that proves why she is still relevant after more than twenty years.
Featured: Madonna, "Like A Virgin" [zShare] (Confessions Tour live version)
Kylie Minogue, Showgirl Homecoming Live
A two-disc recording of her post-cancer comeback concert, Kylie's Showgirl Homecoming set is a fun, energetic and triumphant return. It's a shame her new Scissor Sisters collaboration "White Diamond" didn't show up on X, but here it is from the concert.
Featured: Kylie Minogue, "White Diamond" [zShare] (Showgirl Homecoming live version)

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